1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to protective covers, and particularly to a cushioned cover for traffic structures that provides an elastomeric or pneumatically cushioned cover for traffic structures, such as concrete barriers, stanchions, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A number of different configurations of traffic structures have been developed over the years, including metal guardrails, cables either with or without chain link fencing installed therewith, and various other structures. Two very common types of traffic structures are the massive concrete traffic barriers (often called “Jersey walls” or “Jersey barriers”) and vertical columns, posts, stanchions, and the like used to support overpasses and highway signs and lights. These two types of traffic structures comprise perhaps the majority of traffic structures, particularly in urban areas, and are nearly universally formed of hard, rigid materials that do not flex or yield significantly when they receive a significant impact force, as when struck by a vehicle.
While some thought and effort has gone into the design of “Jersey wall” type barriers in efforts to minimize the severity of vehicle accidents after contacting such barriers, the barriers generally do not serve particularly well in this regard. Most such barriers have outwardly sloped bases intended to cause the tire of a vehicle to ride slightly up the base upon impact and to turn the vehicle back into the traffic lane(s). While this serves to prevent the vehicle from crossing the barrier and impacting stationary objects to the side of the road or perhaps entering traffic flowing in the opposite direction, it does nothing to prevent perhaps extensive damage to the vehicle. Moreover, the deflection of the vehicle back into the traffic lane(s) often leads to multiple vehicle crashes as the deflected vehicle veers out of control back into perhaps heavy traffic.
Other traffic structures such as support columns, stanchions, posts, and the like, generally have little or no capability to reduce damage to either the traffic structure or to the vehicle upon impact. In fact, the solid, rigid materials of which these various traffic structures are made generally result in significant damage to a vehicle striking the structure. The structure itself generally fares no better, and generally requires replacement after a major impact. This often holds true even for massive concrete traffic barriers after a major impact, as well as for columns, stanchions and the like.
Some effort has gone into the development of traffic barriers and other traffic structures, as noted further above. One example of such effort is found in Japanese Patent Publication No. 9-100,517, published on Apr. 15, 1997. This reference describes (according to the drawings and English abstract) a decorative overlay for a guardrail. The overlay comprises a rubber baseboard, a transparent barrier layer, a “drawing sheet” of artwork or the like, and another transparent protective layer for the “drawing sheet”.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, a cushioned cover for traffic structures solving the aforementioned problems is desired.